BlueRavenBirders

I missed the Twin Falls ID Rodeo because I was just too sick. It was disappointing to miss since I had laid out big birding plans. Ah well, maybe the Bear River Refuge would be open this weekend. Once again I left early on Friday and HOORAY the refuge was open. I drove the soggy loop and spotted:

Black billed magpies, California gulls, American robins, Rock doves, Rough legged hawks, House sparrows, Pied billed grebes, Cinnamon teals

Red winged blackbirds, Starlings, Killdeer, Tree swallows, House sparrows, Canda geese, Great horned owl, Ring necked pheasants, Coots, Mallards, Northern pintails

American avocets, Northern shovelers, Double crested cormorant, Great blue herons, Western grebes, Trumpeter swans

Northern harriers, Ruddy ducks, Clarks grebes, Horned larks, Ring necked duck, Sandhill crane, Western meadowlarks, Common ravens

It really is a long drive to the middle of nowhere. Next up rodeo, and more rodeo, and more frustration with my camera. In January I took an online course on photography. I’ve been really frustrated with my inability to take better pictures at the rodeo. I thought the course would help me use my Nikon P610 (superzoom) better. But what I realized is that while the zoom part of this camera was awesome for still subjects, it just didn’t have the ability to take the fast moving action of a rodeo. I used the paying off of my student loans as an excuse and started shopping for a new camera. After some initial research I turned to my friends on Facebook. There was much discussion and suggestions all of which were useful. And in the end I ordered a Sony Alpha A6500. I had hoped to get the camera before heading for this rodeo. No such luck. They tried to deliver it just a few hours after I left.
On Saturday between Slack and the performance I stopped for lunch at this awesome cafe. Mom’s Cafe on the corner of State and Main in Salina UT. It was amazing. If you ever get to Salina UT… I then tried to bird, but was thwarted by cold weather and tiredness from the illness that was still hanging on. I still managed to spot a few birds including a Brewer’s blackbird which is my first spotting of it this year. Napping and a final rodeo.

The ISU Women’s team is doing very well. I did manage to get a few good closeups of a few of them just before their breakaway roping runs.

The pick up guys were companioned by this amazing border collie. It was the most effective chaser of loose steer, bulls, and horses ever.

It was a great weekend.

— Jenny